"That fight means something to me" - Potential Conor McGregor fight has "deeper" significance for Alexander Volkanovski over and above the money and limelight
Alexander Volkanovski believes that a potential fight with Conor McGregor means more to him than the money and limelight.
The opportunity to fight 'The Notorious' star is nothing short of a spectacle owing to the mass public attention, media hype, global exposure, and the big paycheck that comes with it. However, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has pointed to a deeper cause behind the inclination to fight Conor McGregor.
During a recent interview on Submission Radio, Vokanovski stated that the Irishman envisions an opportunity for him on the horizon should the Australian defeat lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in their verbally agreed fight:
"Right now he [Conor McGregor] knows, if I go and take that lightweight title, he knows he ain't fighting for the featherweight title. I go and take the lightweight title, he knows there's an opportunity there."
'The Great' further pointed out that the Irishman remains the only UFC featherweight champion that he hasn't beaten yet:
"I've touched on the fact that he's the only featherweight champion I haven't beaten. So obviously that fight means something to me as well... as well as the money that's involved and all that type of stuff. You know the whole circus around him which would be entertaining and fun. So all that type of stuff will be great but there's still a deeper sort of meaning to that fight."
Watch the full interview below:
The UFC featherweight champion joined Makhachev inside the octagon following the latter's victory against Oliveira at UFC 280. Both combatants reached a verbal accordance for a potential fight in Australia next year with Volkanovski's No.1 pound-for-pound status on the line.
Alexander Volkanovski wasn't expecting Conor McGregor to change tone in their Twitter exchange
Alexander Volkanovski was amongst several fighters that Conor McGregor lashed out at during a recent Twitter frenzy. The former UFC two-division champion took a dig at Volkanovski and the freshly crowned lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
The 34-year-old featherweight champion retaliated by requoting a past maxim from 'The Notorious.' Interestingly, McGregor immediately changed his stance and the pair ended up seemingly agreeing to a fight in the future.
Check out the Twitter exchange below:
My two old belts. On two little ticks. This fight does 10 buys https://t.co/8AIzVyxQUl
A former wise man once said… https://t.co/uxuAeib75l
@alexvolkanovski Just watching and monitoring mate. That’s all. Happy for you in the spot tbh. I’ll be back. This is not over. You know.
During the same interview, Volkanovski claimed that he wasn't expecting McGregor to change tone in their Twitter exchange:
"He had a shot at us, me and Islam, and I was like, you know, just let him know... a former was a good word in there. The tweet [made by McGregor about a winner's focus] is a true tweet, it's legit. Obviously he used to think like that, now he was acting everything but that. It was weird that I didn't expect his change of the tone."